This Missing Life
by Yomico
Summary: Lucy's been gone for eleven years, and Natsu couldn't find her. When his daughter shows up at the guild barely breathing, Natsu's fragile world comes crashing down. She needs him to save her mom and his wife, but with the prey being the girl herself can they all make it out alive? (NaLu Nashi) *ON HOLD*
1. Chapter 1

"Nashi, sweetie… listen to me." The blonde woman was lying in a pool of her own blood, the precious crimson liquid slowly seeping out of a long gash running along her side. A young girl with long, unruly pink hair sat by her, her slender fingers gripping the woman's arm. Red leaked from a cut on her forehead, seeping into her eyes. She angrily brushed it away.

"No! Mama, I'm not leaving you!" she sobbed, yelling at the woman who smiled gently at her crying daughter.

"Nashi, they're after you, not me. I need you to do something for me—"

"Lucy Heartfilia, how kind of you to join us, and your daughter as well!" The disembodied voice rang around the room. Nashi jumped up, fire coating her fist.

"Where are you, you bastard? Come out so I can kill you!" she roared, her anger overpowering her fear. Sparks of blue and gold danced within the flames.

"Nashi, no!" The woman tried to sit up, only to fall back in agony. "Nashi, you must run. Do you understand? Run to Fairy Tail!" The little girl shook her head stubbornly. Gathering the last bit of her strength, the woman began to chant.

 _Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens..._

 _All the stars, far and wide..._

 _Show me thy appearance..._

 _With such shine._

"Mama! Please stop!" Nashi's aggressive demeanor shattered as she pleaded with her mother. The woman ignored her.

 _Oh Tetrabiblos..._

 _I am the ruler of the stars..._

 _Aspect become complete..._

 _Open thy malevolent gate._

 _Oh 88 Stars of the heaven..._

 _Shine!_

 _Urano Metria!_

A golden light illuminated the room as the stars responded to the spell.

"RUN!" The woman's final scream jolted her daughter into action. The formless voice roared in protest, demanding that she stop. The young girl ran for her life. For her mother's life.

 **NATSU:**

It's been eleven years since my wife disappeared. Vanished off the face of the planet, taking our unborn child with her. I knew she hadn't gone willingly, based on the many unfamiliar scents and the wrecked apartment, but it didn't make it any easier. Sure, life moved on, but I was stuck firmly in one spot. I refused to give up on her. Every time I took a job I made sure to look for any sign that she'd passed through. That she was alive. So far eleven freaking years had passed, and I couldn't find her.

Fairy Tail was having what Gramps called the New Age. Gray and Juvia had two little boys and Erza had a monster of a girl with Jellal. That little devil had her mother's looks, her father's magic, and a very familiar habit to bash people's heads into her armor-covered chest. Levy and Gajeel were waiting for their second kid and Mira was pregnant with Laxus' child. Lisanna had some weirdo boyfriend who hated cats and Cana had her booze. Life was great. For them.

In the first few months I was lost in my own grief. My comrades tried to care for me, but I shut them out of my life. When I finally came around they welcomed me back with open arms. I suppose I should've been grateful. Now I had passed the S-Class exam, taken several ten-year quests and one hundred-year quest that took me two years. The work helped me get through each day without her, and slowly I built up a fragile wall to hold myself together.

"Mira! I'm taking this one." I called to the white-haired demon barmaid. She marked my choice on her list.  
"Good luck, Natsu!" she called, waving cheerfully. Glancing over, I saw Happy infatuated with Charla, who just recently agreed date him. Better leave them be. Swinging my pack onto my shoulders, I scooped up my packed food when the guild doors slammed open. All eyes immediately zeroed in on the newcomer, regardless of what the owners had been doing. The sunlight behind her hid her features and blended them into a black shadow. A waft of her scent drifted over to me and I froze. She smelled so much like Lucy.  
She stepped into the guild and someone gasped. It might have been me.

"Oi, Natsu, doesn't she…?" Gray left the question hanging, but there was no more doubt in my head. Her pink hair was a wild and unruly mess, draping over her shoulders and matching the shade of my own without fault. Big chocolate eyes were set in a delicate face and creamy skin. A gash seeped blood onto her forehead and she clutched her stomach, her hands red. Her breath was coming out in wheezing gasps.

This was my kid. Mine and Lucy's.

"Please…" she forced out, doubling over and coughing up blood. Looking up, her eyes locked on my face with shocked recognition. Her next words, aimed at me, nearly split my heart. "Help…mama…please…" She crumbled to the floor and I flew towards her small form. I slid my hands under her back and legs, lifting her from the ground. Her stomach was shredded and a magic arrow stuck out from her side. I took her to the infirmary, a dead silent guild at my back and following my every move. Wendy rushed in behind me and had me place my daughter on a white bed. The blue-haired Sky Dragon Slayer pretty much ran the infirmary, her healing magic knowing no bounds or rivals. Within seconds the arrow was gone and Wendy was applying a steady stream of her healing spell to the girl's stomach. She finished in under ten minutes and wrapped all her wounds in bandages. I just sat there, staring at the child I never got to meet.

"She'll be fine, Natsu." Wendy placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. I didn't shrug her off, but I didn't really respond either. With a patient sigh my long-time friend left, leaving me and my kid alone. I reached over and hesitantly placed my hand over hers, completely covering it. I still remembered the name Lucy had chosen the day before she vanished.

"Nashi." I whispered, expecting no answer. Her eye cracked open and stared into mine, the chocolates painfully familiar.

"Papa… I missed you."


	2. Chapter 2

**NATSU:**

"Papa… I missed you." Her voice was Lucy's. Her scent was Lucy's. It was all too much. I felt cold tears slide down my cheeks, the walls I'd built crumbling in her presence.

"Papa, what's… wrong? Why… are you crying?" She was struggling to get the words out. It hurt me to see my daughter too injured to talk. She drew in a panicked breath and tried to sit up. "Mama! We have… to go… save… mama!" Swinging back the covers, she pushed herself off the bed. Her legs refused to support her and she fell on me, my hands barely avoiding her injuries as I tried to keep us from falling to the floor.

"Nashi, no. You need to rest." I tried to sound reasonable. Kind of hard to do, since in her place I would've done the same thing.

"No! Mama's hurt!" Her big brown eyes looked at me with sheer desperation. It was really hard to resist. I was raring to go myself, but she wouldn't help anyone if she couldn't even get up without help.

"Nashi. You can't help Lucy if you can't even get up without falling." My voice hardened without my noticing. I needed to hurt someone for hurting Lucy. For hurting our kid.

"You don't get it! You don't understand!" Nashi was almost screaming, clutching her stomach as she began to wheeze. Something inside me snapped.

"I do." It came out softer than expected. Nashi froze, her anger evaporating. "I was in your position more than once. Too many times I was unable to save her. Don't tell me that I don't understand, because I understand better than you do." I stood, the chair toppling over. Leaving the infirmary, I felt her gaze hard on my back. "Give yourself an hour." I was strong, Lucy was strong, so the kid would be strong. An hour combined with Wendy's magic would be more than enough to heal her, at least enough to move out. Coming out to the main hall, I was greeted with a curious wall of silence.

"Oi, Gray! Let's fight!" I called, making my way to the ice mage. Immediately a tick appeared on his forehead.

"You flamebrain! You wanna go so badly, eh!?" He moved away from Juvia, who pulled their kids away from our upcoming showdown. I chuckled inwardly. I could always count on Gray to help me blow off some steam.

"Yeah, droopy eyes! I hear you've gotten soft lately!" Our foreheads collided.

"Bring it on, squinty eyes!"

"Ice princess!"

"Hot head!"

"Stripper!"

"Fire freak!" His fist moved at the edge of my vision and collided with my ear. I quickly retaliated, making sure to not use magic. I wasn't sure if I could fully control myself right then. Within moments we were having a full-out brawl. Elfman and Gajeel quickly joined, despite Lisanna's and Levy's protests. As our violent snowball rolled around the hall we kept picking up more people until the fight had spread to all four corners. Even Erza joined after someone, I think Jet, squished her strawberry cake slice. She and her kid were single-mindedly chasing the Shadowgear duo, screaming something about heads and punishment. Jellal sat calmly and suspiciously at the bar and with one eye watched his wife and daughter rip people to shreds, a small smile forming on his face. Cana took the opportunity to pull him into the battle, and sure enough he started landing hits like there was no tomorrow. At some point Laxus came back from his job to see a runaway table fly towards his pregnant wife and in a fit of rage waded into the battle while Mira shook her head in exasperation. I laughed and smashed my elbow into Gray's face, earning a chuckle from him as he came after me without his pants.

"I missed this, Natsu." His knee came dangerously close to my stomach. I rounded out to dodge it and spun around, following through with my foot. He caught it and flipped me over, finishing with a precise fist to my side. I jumped up and tackled him.

"Me too." It had been ages since we'd started a fight, which was mostly my fault.

"Gray, your clothes." Cana spoke up from her wrestling match with a member I didn't know. Gray swore and tried to go find his pants, but Elfman dragged him back with a follow-up speech on manliness.

"Hey!" Nashi's voice echoed around the hall, the fight shutting down as recognition set in. I looked up from turning Droy into a pulp to see her standing next to Wendy on the second floor, an excited light in her eyes. "Can I join?"

People gaped openly, clearly dumbstruck. "Um, Nashi, I don't think—" Wendy tried to hold back the girl who ignored her and cleared the railing, her fists raised above her head as she pounced on the nearest unfortunate soul that happened to be Gray. She flattened him completely and turned to me.

"Hi papa! Let's kick some ass!" She sounded so happy, so carefree. Looks like she took after me. I grinned and we resumed the fight in a whirlwind of fists and pink hair, only stopping when almost everyone was beat and Erza bashed our heads in. We promptly apologized, got her two new cake slices and bailed.

 **NASHI:**

Papa and I hid behind a wooden support to avoid the scarlet-haired monster lady's gaze. She and her kid were really scary. The fight was so much fun, and fighting with papa for the first time made it the best fight of my life. Sure, the person who had taken mama had made me fight other people who were strong, but it wasn't fun. Not as fun as this fight had been. Now, don't get me wrong: I don't like fighting because I like hurting people. I like the adrenalin that a fight gives you, the danger of it. I like seeing who's stronger. Mama always told me I was like papa in that way.

Speaking of which, papa seems really weird. One minute he's all quiet and serious and the next he's at the heart of a brawl, fighting with some stripper. Tch. That damn ice freak nearly froze my ass at the end there. Glad I nailed him twice in a row.

"Ne, papa, can we go eat and then save mama?" I asked him, my stomach growling. He snorted and we snuck around the monster lady's territory towards the bar where he introduced me to a beautiful white-haired pregnant lady. He said her name was Mirajane, I think. The soup she gave us was the best food I'd ever tasted, but considering that I'd been eating what mama called 'jail food' for most of my life I didn't really have anything to compare it to. Papa watched me inhale the soup and he almost laughed when I asked for my fifth refill.

"She really takes after you, Natsu." Mirajane told him quietly. He nodded, his eyes distant like he was thinking about something else.

"Oi, Salamander! Finish the fight you started, dammit!" A scowling man with lots of piercings and no eyebrows popped up behind papa, his small black cat flying around his head. Papa glanced at him, annoyed.

"Shove off, jerk. We're gonna go save Luce." The guild seemed to tune in to their conversation after those words, especially the ice freak and monster lady.

"Oh? You're going after Lucy? In that case, we'll come too." The monster lady changed her outfit to a white and blue sleeveless shirt and skirt. She looked nicer without her armor on. Papa seemed to shiver a bit when she pulled out a humongous cart of luggage. The stripper ice dude nodded silently, standing carefully by the edge of the luggage cart. Metalface brooded by papa's chair, but was without doubt of the same opinion. Wendy and Charla came down from the second floor, also wanting to join us. I looked around at them, soup dripping from my chin as I scanned their eager faces. Mama had been right about them: they were amazing friends, all willing to drop what they were doing to go and save her.

"Yosh! Let's go then – you ready, Nashi?" Papa stood up and all eyes landed on me. I nodded and quickly wiped my chin, getting a small chuckle out of the monster lady.

"Aye!" Papa's cat, Happy, called out cheerfully as we ran through the guild doors, the huge luggage cart rattling along behind us. Family members yelled good byes and good lucks to our retreating backs. I stuck close to papa, feeling safe. I'd known him for barely more than two hours, but already I could feel our similarities, our relationship as father and daughter. I felt like I could trust him with my life, and I guess I was already trusting him with mama's.


	3. Chapter 3

**NASHI:**

"Hey! Where are we going?" The ice freak shouted as we followed papa through the streets. People were shooting strange looks at me, some even recognizing me from my first run through these streets. I heard them whispering about 'Salamander's kid', but unless papa was called Salamander, I didn't know who they were talking about.

"I'm following Nashi's scent trail. She must've come from wherever Lucy is, so why not trace back?" Papa yelled back. I grinned, happy knowing that he also had a super-sensitive nose. Sometimes it drove me insane, picking up too many scents for me to focus. Maybe he could help me control it better.

My stomach started to hurt sometime after we'd left the town and entered the woods, and Wendy had insisted that we stop so I could take a break and let my stomach fully heal. Papa said he could just carry me, but the monster lady slapped him on the head and said that wasn't the point. He gave in pretty quickly after that.

"But isn't papa right? I mean, the faster we get to mama the faster we can save her." I sat down and let Wendy apply her healing magic to my stomach, but I didn't understand why we had to stop. The monster lady sighed and I bit my tongue. Maybe she'd slice my head off.

"Nashi, if we will have to fight you need to be in top form, right?" She asked slowly, her voice reasonably reasonable. I nodded. Maybe I'd even get to keep my head. "If your stomach hurts, that means you're not in top form, am I right?" I nodded again. "That's why."

"I don't get it." I said flatly, confused by her reasoning. Papa nodded in agreement and the ice freak snorted. I wanted to punch him really badly, but had to settle for a menacing glare in his direction instead.

"Look, squirt, if your stomach starts to hurt too badly for you to fight then you could get captured and mess up the mission. Got it?" The metalface squinted at me. His explanation being much clearer, I nodded in understanding. Charla snorted.

"She really is like Natsu." she said, her voice amused. Wendy agreed and finished off her spell, asking if we'd like to stop for the night. I noticed that the sun had already almost reached the horizon, so I agreed and worked on persuading papa to stay.

"It's only another day of travel, I think. On my way to the guild I was injured so I was slower than we are now." That, coupled with several more reasons, was enough to get him to grumble and agreement.

"Say, Nashi, do you know where Lucy is exactly?" Happy asked me as he flew into my lap. I played with his ear as I thought about it.

"Mama said we were near the Infinity Clock, but I don't know what that means. Do you?" I looked up at the group, suddenly frozen and staring at me. "What?"

"We know." Papa's voice had an odd edge to it, like he was really angry but also sad. They all nodded, faces sinking in a bad memory. Then papa cleared the air with a good-natured punch, aimed at the ice freak. The monster lady turned her back to them as they began another fight, something about the number of monkey-dudes they got last time.

"Nashi, what can you tell us about where Lucy is being held?" Wendy asked gently. I bit my lip, struggling to remember.

"Every week we were hit by some spell that confuses a person's memory, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details." I muttered. Papa stopped the fight and his gaze turned murderous. "What I do know is that it's in some sort of airspace bubble, like a magic pocket. The bubble requires a sacrifice to grant passage, regardless of which direction. Anything and everything could be the stakes, and the only limit is that it has to be on hand. The bubble can't use something it doesn't have direct contact with." I started to shake and couldn't stop. What is had cost me…

~FLASHBACK~

 _"_ _You, Nashi Dragneel, have requested a passage to the land of Fiore. Are you willing to sacrifice your mother's life?" The voice rang around my head, cold and unfeeling._

 _"_ _Mama's life? No! That's what I'm trying to save!" I was crying, pleading to an invisible wall. "Besides, you aren't touching her! You can't bargain with her life!"_

 _"_ _So. You have found the single rule. Then, if you destroy this illusion, I will grant you your passage."_

~FLASHBACK END~

Papa moved over to me and I fell back against his chest. His arms enveloped me in a warm hug, warmer than mama's. She said my hugs were really warm too. The monster lady and the ice freak, who kept calling each other Erza and Gray, pitched tents and started a campfire with papa's help. They were all waiting for me to get myself together. Wendy applied one more dose of healing magic before hunting down Erza's food case.

"It's okay, Nashi. You don't have to if it's too much." Papa murmured, rocking me back and forth. I shook my head stubbornly.

"No, I'm good." The team pulled in around the fire, all eyes trained on me. I watched the sun's bottom edge touch the horizon and continued. "When I left, the bubble asked me to kill and illusion, which was a copy of mama. I did it because the illusion had no scent, and mama always smells like mama." I swallowed and papa tensed against my back. Erza, the monster lady, picked up my train of thought.

"The sacrifice is meant to throw us off. Make us back down. It's good to know that it's not real." She nodded in approval. I tried to smile, but she was still super scary.

"The people there, the bad guys, they have some sort of magic that can manipulate feelings, emotions, and memories. That's pretty much all I have." I turned and snuggled into papa's warm chest. I think something in Erza's eyes softened, so I guess she wasn't a complete monster after all. We sat in a comfortable silence, each wondering what their sacrifice would be.

Suddenly Wendy tensed, standing up and on full alert. "The air… it's shifting very rapidly." she whispered, drawing everyone's instant attention. "I'd say there is some heavy portal use going on near us." Erza shot up and drew her sword, knocking down three darts from the air. I didn't even have time to blink.

"Everybody up and on full alert. Natsu, stay with Nashi. Don't let her out of your sight." She requipped into an armor that mama had called Heaven's Wheel. Sending her army of sword flying in the direction of the darts' origin, she finished her orders. "Wendy, stick with Natsu. Gray, you're with me. Don't let them separate you!" She took off, following her swords and requipping on the way, the ice freak Gray in tow. Papa grabbed my hand and pulled me away in the other direction.

"If it isn't the Dragneel family. Aren't you missing a very important member?" I froze at the sound of his voice, the one that had no body to belong to. Papa snarled, a feral sound ripping from his throat. Something inside me stirred, drawn by papa's anger. "Yes, my little girl, why don't you show the Salamander your power? Why don't you let it go?" The invisible man's voice prodded the thing inside, annoying it. I desperately tried to calm it, knowing what would happen if I let it rage. A wave of gray swirls spread out across my vision, blocking out my sight.

"N-no… No!" I grabbed my head, trying to shake off the swirling memories. It was the spell again, the same one they used at the prison. Pain sliced across my skull, shattering any stability into a million pieces. The thing jerked awake, deadly growls burning through my body. In a haze of red I saw papa grabbing my shoulders, yelling something. Wendy sent Sky Dragon magic out into the woods around us, trying to find the source of the voice. Happy was pulling on my sleeve while Charla had taken on her warrior form and was keeping guard on Wendy's back, stopping the occasional dart. I was out of my body, floating above the scene and unable to do anything but watch. Tears ran down my cheeks, in real life as well as in my floating form. I knew what would happen: I'd told myself it wouldn't happen again. Looks like that was one promise I was unable to keep.

"I'm sorry, mama, papa."


	4. Chapter 4

**NATSU:**

I grabbed her small shoulders, shaking her fiercely. "Nashi! C'mon, wake up! We have to go save your mama!" I yelled at her, not caring about consequences. The voice had wanted her power, like it was a priceless possession. My daughter wasn't a tool with magic: she was her own person. I wouldn't let anyone take that away from her. I lost touch with the fighting around me, focused completely on my kid. She stood frozen, her breathing shallow and her eyes unfocused. Glistening tears slid down her cheeks, her face frozen. Her lips made out a string of words, my sensitive hearing barely picking them up.

"I'm sorry, mama, papa."

An outline of golden fire formed around her, casting strange shadows on the ground. With a blast of magic the outline expanded to fill a large circle, her being the center. It slammed against me like a brick wall, kicking me out. Blue and white sparks of light left her body, thirteen total. They formed a circle around her, their power pulsing through the shield of flames. Her pink hair floated up around her face and her eyes began to glow with a white light.

"Natsu! What's going on?" Gray ran up to me, followed by a trigger-happy Erza. She stuck her sword tip into the ground mere centimeters from my hand.

"Isn't it the infamous team of Fairy Tail? Welcome, my friends, and I am very pleased to show you the power of my pet!" It was that voice again. He had snarls leaving my throat before I even registered what he'd actually said. The circle of fire grew and the sparks began to whizz around in circles, leaving trails of light.

"Celestial Dragon: Heavenly Fire Dance." Nashi's voice seemed to be ripped from her mouth as she spoke the words of the spell. Erza requipped into her Adamantium Armor, jumping in front of us. Gray knelt by her side, creating an Ice Make Shield between Erza's shield and my kid's power. I joined them, adding a layer of flames. Wendy cast Armor to add to our defenses. Blue fire erupted from the ground within Nashi's sphere, dancing around her body. The sparks kept increasing their speed until their trails hid her from view. Suddenly they froze, forming a perfect circle around her, and her eyes flashed normal for less than a second before returning to a blinding white. Her legs bunched as she took a flying leap, clearing the treetops with ease. Above us her magic sphere exploded, a wave of blue and gold light cutting through the night. The amount of power was terrifying. She dropped down lightly, her landing soundless and clean. When she straightened, I could barely even tell it was her.

Her glowing white eyes were framed with golden scales that trailed down her cheeks and her neck. More scales dotted her forearms and her waist, visible through her ripped-up shirt. Her salmon hair had become white, falling past her waist in a wild mess. She bared her lips in a snarl, showing very sharp canines. Her small fingers were replaced by golden claws, reminding me of Mira's Satan Soul. The sparks followed her descent, lazily swirling around her. Unless I was wrong, she was in Dragon Force. She took a step forward but stopped with a violent shudder. A growl left her lips, cut off by a snarl. Another step and she shut her eyes with another shudder. I could smell her sweat as it poured down her face. She took heaving breaths, each small step finished with a snarl.

"She's fighting herself." Wendy whispered. "She isn't in control."

Suddenly she lunged for me, taking me by surprise and sending both of us rolling across the ground. She recovered first and began attacking me, her claws slicing through my clothes and skin with ease. I covered my body in flames and began blocking her attacks. They were very sloppy, I noticed, and slow. Her breath was coming out in short gasps and she didn't use any Dragon Slayer techniques.

"Knock…" She snarled, her voice sounding strangled. "Me… out…"

"No!" I shouted as I blocked another punch. Gray and Erza tried to jump in and help me, but she took hem out with a single blow. Popsicle skidded across the grass, ending up a limp pile at the base of a tree, while Erza smashed into the same tree and landed on Gray. Wendy ran to them, Charla watching our battle with narrowed eyes as she guarded the blue-haired slayer.

"P-please!" Her plea was cut short by a violent snarl. She paused in her attacks and grabbed her head, her talons puncturing the skin. Drops of blood painted her white hair as she shook her head back and forth, growling. I took the moment and dealt a swift Fire Dragon's Iron Fist to her stomach, hoping that I wouldn't screw up her injury. She coughed up blood and collapsed, the sparks re-entering her body as she slipped out of Dragon Force. I shut off my flames and scooped her up, carrying her limp form to Wendy.

"What happened?" Erza muttered, clutching her stomach as she tried to sit up. Gray groaned softly but stayed out. Wendy placed her hands on Nashi's stomach and a pale green glow surrounded them.

"Where's the bastard!?" I snarled, spinning around as I tried to find the sick crook. I couldn't pick up any scents, sounds – it was like they had never existed.

"No, no, no, the little pet, no. You mustn't fight yourself like that, otherwise you won't be of any use!" As if on call, his voice rang out and slapped against my ears. I gritted my teeth as I tried to ignore the ringing in my head. "Oh well, at least the separation still works. Until next time, my pet!"

"Where are you!?" I yelled, my fists lighting up in my rage without my noticing.

"Natsu, he's gone." Wendy's quiet voice cut through the anger and I nearly collapsed, the toll from Nashi's attacks coming in an avalanche.

"You okay, flamebrain?" Gray was up, hand clutching his side where Nashi's hit had landed. I nodded and looked at my kid, lying peacefully. Her hair was back to normal and the scales were gone.

"Erza, call the guild. Get Levy on the line and ask about the separation the bastard mentioned." I snapped. Without taking offense, Erza nodded and pulled out a communication lacrima. Within moments Levy had been updated and she'd pulled out a collection of books, scanning through them frantically.

 _"_ _Got it!"_ People crowded behind her as she read the passage. _"Magic Separation. It's when a person's magic is the result of two different magic types merging and the original mold of the two magics is removed by force. It results in serious instability and can lead to self-destruction. Oh Mavis, did something happen?"_

"Yeah. Nashi lost control just now and the bastard that had Lucy said the separation still works." I scooped her small form up as Wendy finished her spell and she unconsciously snuggled into my chest.

 _"_ _You guys need to find the original mold, otherwise Nashi could lose herself to her magic. It'll probably be under heavy restraints since it is naturally drawn to its source, which would be Nashi. I don't know how to return it to her body, or what will happen once it does. I'll keep looking!"_ Levy clenched her fist in a determined gesture as the lacrima flickered out.

"At least we know what's wrong." Gray muttered.

"She's incredibly strong, fighting her own power like that." Erza's voice carried respect, despite the fact that she'd just been slammed into a tree.

"This can't be her first time." I growled and they looked at me in worry. "She's obviously lost control before since she could fight it for so long."

That's what bugged me the most. The first time anyone loses control they don't have a chance of resisting. To be this good at holding her magic in, she'd have to have done it many times. Wendy crouched next to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Natsu, I have to heal you too." She said softly. I glanced down, taking in the numerous gashes spread over my body, and nodded. She quickly set to work, asking Charla to help her put pressure on the larger ones while Happy darted around, handing them bandages. They had just finished when Nashi stirred, slowly sitting up and her eyes widening in horror as she took in the bandages before bursting into tears.

"I-I'm s-s-so sor-ry!" She wailed. I pulled her into a tight hug and she swung her arms around my neck. "I c-can't c-contr-rol it, a-and s-she alw-ways g-g-gets h-hurt b-but then s-she says it-t's ok-kay, and-d he a-always s-sets it off, a-and I d-don't k-know h-how t-to st-stop it!"

My grip tightened as I met my friends' murderous gazes over Nashi's head. Without a words we rose and made our way back to our campsite, me carrying a sobbing Nashi. It took us a good ten minutes, considering how we kept getting lost, but by the time Erza's luggage cart came into view Nashi had fallen asleep. Wendy spread out a sleeping mat and I gently set down the sleeping girl, letting her curl up in a comfortable position before I covered her with a blanket. I restarted the fire and we divided up the food, eating in silence.

"I can't believe he would go as far as making her hurt her own mother." Erza muttered, breaking the tense silence. Gray nodded in agreement and Happy pulled out another fish.

"What's our plan then?" I stuffed the remains of my dinner into my mouth and waited them out.

"Once we get into the base we should split up. Natsu, Wendy, and Nashi should go after Lucy while Erza and I try to find the mold." Gray munched on a piece of bread and managed to outline a decent plan all while taking off his shirt.

"I agree. We'll have to hope Levy finds out what to do the mold before we're confronted with that situation." Erza had a fresh slice of cake in her hands.

"Aye." Happy muttered sadly.

"I'll go with Erza and Gray." Charla sniffed. "I might have a vision once we come in contact with the mold that could give us a clue." She turned to Happy. "You, he-cat, had best make sure that Wendy comes back to me in one piece."

"Aye, sir!" Happy saluted.

"We should get some sleep so we can move out early tomorrow." Wendy murmured and spread out two more mats. We joined her and I placed my mat next to Nashi's before quickly stretching out under my blanket. I missed Luce's bed, even though it had long since lost her scent.

Halfway through the night I was woken up by something pressed firmly against my front and I glanced down to see Nashi curled up against me, kind of like Luce used to do when I snuck into her bed during the night. She'd rolled off her mat completely and I just place my arm across her shoulders and drifted off, inhaling the faint scent of Lucy that Nashi carried with her.


	5. Chapter 5

**NASHI:**

I woke up and the first thing I felt was the warmth, almost at the point of being uncomfortable. It was coming from behind me, and my shirt was slight sticking to my back. I rolled over and came face-to-face with a mass of bandages, a few spots of red bright against the white. Papa's scent hit my nose and I felt the tears slide down my cheeks. Would he hate me because I hurt him? Because I wasn't strong enough to keep my magic back? Mama always told me it was okay, but he wasn't mama. My shoulders shook and his arm, draped across my waist, tightened.

"What's wrong?" His voice was gentle, and that only made my tears worse.

"I-I'm sor-ry, I-I d-didn't—" I could barely get the words out.

"It's okay, Nashi. I know it's not your fault. None of us blame you." He murmured softly and I curled against him, desperate for some sort of comfort. "You were incredibly strong last night, just like your mama."

My eyes widened at his praise. "B-but I could-dn't hold i-it in…"

"Most people your age can't even dream of holding in power like that. You held it in alright – you jumped to save us from the explosion, you attacked me because I had the best chance of knocking you out. You ruined your own attacks to keep from really hurting me, and you told me what to do all while fighting your power. That's incredible, Nashi." He spoke softly and gently, explaining everything in a way he knew I would understand. Maybe he was like mama.

"You don't hate me?"

"Never, Nashi. I could never hate you." He hugged me gently before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Man, I'm starving! Let's go raid the food!"

"Aye!" I cheered, ending with a huge yawn. He chuckled and I grinned, jumping up to stretch out my sleeping limbs. A couple pops and I was set to pummel the ice freak. Gray, I think his name was.

Papa and I quickly dug out Erza's food case from the luggage mound and flipped it open. The scent of chicken hit first, accompanied by subtle traces of vegetables and fruits. Papa reached for a chicken leg and I felt something hard close around the back of my shirt, pulling me away from the case. I was greeted by glittering purple eyes and scarlet hair.

"Oh? Stealing food, are we?" Erza questioned in a deadly calm voice. Papa, his vest caught in her other hand, quickly dropped the chicken leg he'd snatched and pleaded innocent.

Erza just dropped us both, rolling her eyes and pointing a finger for emphasis while explaining in a way that made no sense why we couldn't just take the food. The moment she was done she left to wake up Gray, and I took full advantage of her absence to drag papa and Happy on a hunt. We caught seven fish before Wendy found us and heavily hinted at Erza being pissed. Breakfast was a tense and very fun affair, to say the least.

"How's your stomach, Nashi?" Wendy carefully wiped her mouth with a napkin before speaking.

"Good." I, on the other hand, talked right after swallowing. The monster lady narrowed her eyes at me and I felt a shiver go down my spine. Wendy nodded and we packed our campsite, making sure there were no traces of our presence, before setting off again. I walked next to papa, my hand in his bigger one. When I got tired, which didn't take long, he lifted me so I could sit on his shoulders and explained that I was tired from using too much magic the other night.

"You need some time to get back the magic you used." He finished his explanation with a little shrug of his shoulders to adjust my position.

"Since when do you know stuff like that?" Gray asked with exaggerated shock. I frowned at him, not really getting his point.

"Since forever, popsicle. It ain't that difficult." Papa shot back.

"Who you calling popsicle, flame breath?" Gray snapped in response.

"You, ice freak. Who else?" I jumped in, earning narrowed eyes from Erza, a giggle from Wendy, a smirk from Carla, a cheer from papa and Happy, and a hand over the heart from Gray.

"You've wounded me…" He staggered to add to his play. "Natsu, what have you done to your kid?"

"She's my kid, ice prick. You've got your own, and it's your fault that both think of me as Uncle Natsu." Papa said with a smirk.

"Oi! That's Juvia's fault, not mine!"

"You're the dad, aren't you?" Happy flew circles around Gray's head.

"Well, yes, but she's as much of an influence as I am!"

"You just aren't trying hard enough." Happy darted out of the way as Gray aimed a hit at him.

"Natsu didn't even do anything, and his kid still hates me!"

"You did nearly freeze my ass in the fight. I have a good reason." I pointed out. A sword slid out of its sheathe with a cold hiss and the silence reigned absolute.

"You dare besmirch a fair maiden's virtue?" Erza's tone was deadly. Gray visibly swallowed.

"N-no! It was nothing like th—" Gray squealed in fear as Erza's sword swept right above his head, slicing through a few strands of hair.

"I'll teach you a lesson!" The monster lady abandoned her luggage cart in favor of dealing out punishment.

"Nashi?" Papa turned his head to look at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah?"

"Where did you learn the word 'ass'?" He asked slowly.

"That's what mama called the bad guy sometimes." I said. Papa blinked a few times, as if shocked. "Why?"

"Lucy used to threaten to set up a swear jar if Natsu wouldn't stop swearing." Wendy said with a slight giggle.

"Looks like we don't have to worry about that anymore." Carla sighed.

"Aye, sir!"

Erza finished with Gray and resumed pulling her cart, leaving the ice prick to peel himself off the road and limp after us.

By sunset we had reached the base of the mountains where mama was. We decided to push a little further after a heated debate that ended in a three-way fight between me, papa, and popsicle. The invisible man didn't show up again, and neither did his soldiers. Erza put her foot down once the sun had completely disappeared below the horizon and demanded that we set up camp. There were no protests once her sword came out.

"Papa, why can't I control my magic?" I asked, leaning against his chest and keeping my eyes trained on the dancing flames of our campfire. Wendy, Carla, and Gray had gone to bed, three lumps in their sleeping bags. Happy was dozing on papa's head and Erza was drawing something in a sketchbook.

"We called the guild for information, and Levy said that your magic is a combination of my magic and Luce's magic. Your magic has its own unique mold, and the bastard took the original mold out of your body. That's why you don't have complete control, and that's also why you have so much raw power at your age." Papa explained carefully. His arms curled around me in a loose hug.

"Can I get the mold back?" I wanted to control my magic and be as strong as mama and papa. I didn't want to have to fight it all the time.

"'Course. We'll make sure to get it back from that bastard." Papa flicked a little bit of flame at the campfire to keep it burning. "C'mon, let's get some sleep."

I crawled around the fire and the monster lady to get to my sleeping bag. Papa slid into his own next to me and I got comfortable before turning to face him.

"Can you tell me a story?"

"Huh?" Papa looked weird all of a sudden.

"Mama always tells me a story. Can you tell me one?" I thought that much was obvious. Papa thought about it for several moments before giving me a large grin.

"Yosh! Let's get this story started! Ok, so once upon a time there was a badass dragon and a stupid ice prick. They hated each other…" He trailed off as he glanced fearfully at something behind me. I twisted slightly to see the monster lady giving us the evil eye. "But, naturally, they were the best of friends! Anyways, the ice prick always though he was stronger and he tried to fight with the dragon to prove. The dragon made sure to ignore his challenges, since the ice prick was stupid, but eventually he decided to have some fun. So, the dragon agreed to fight the ice prick…"

I drifted off, listening to how the dragon beat the ice prick into a pulp. Sleep engulfed me right as the dragon landed a hard punch to the ice prick's jaw, sending him reeling.


End file.
